1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording head, a recording apparatus, and a recording system.
2. Related Art
As a recording apparatus, such as a printer, there is an apparatus that records an image on a medium, such as a recording sheet of paper, by transferring a recording agent, such as toner, onto the medium through the control of active elements, such as thin film transistors (TFTs), according to image information of the image.
In an example of such a recording apparatus, a recording agent supply (reservoir) device is placed oppositely to a medium via an aperture electrode body, and whether or not the recording agent within the recording agent supply (reservoir) device is allowed to pass through the aperture electrode body is controlled by means of active elements according to image information of an image. The recording agent is therefore transferred onto the medium according to the image information, and the image is thus recorded on the medium (see JP-A-11-78104).
In another example of such a recording apparatus, a recording agent supply (reservoir) device is placed oppositely to an electrode via a medium, and potential of the electrode is controlled by means of active elements according to image information of an image. The charged recording agent within the recording agent supply (reservoir) device is therefore transferred onto the medium according the image information, and the image is thus recorded on the medium (see JP-A-7-152232).
Both examples of the recording apparatus, however, have problems as follows. That is, when the method using apertures (openings) as is disclosed in JP-A-11-78104 supra is adopted, the apertures are narrowed when resolution is increased, which readily gives rise to clogging. It is therefore difficult to achieve a fast, high-resolution, and yet reliable product. With the method disclosed in JP-A-7-152232 supra, because the recording agent supply (reservoir) device itself opposes the medium, it is highly probable that the recording agent within the recording agent supply (reservoir) device adheres to the medium in spite of the control described above. When such an event takes place, an image is not recorded on the medium according to the image information, and the image quality is deteriorated. In addition, because an electric field is applied via the medium, most of a voltage for controlling the recording agent is applied to the medium. Hence, an extremely high voltage (some hundreds V) needs to be applied to TFTs. This, however, is infeasible in a practical process using TFTs of a practical size.